Watch-barrel.



L. A. FALLER.

WATCH BARREL. APPLIGATION FILED APB. 1.1907.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

LEWIS ALBERT FALLER, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO THE B. H. STEIF JEWELRY CO., OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

WATCH-BARREL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application iiletl April l. i907. Serial No. 365,749.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, LEwIs ALBERT FALLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in latch-Barrels, and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains, to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to new and useful improvements in watch barrels, and has for its object to provide a watch with means whereby it will keep better time and run longer at one winding than watches now in use.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a safety barrel that is absolutely free of any rocking motion when winding the main spring and keeps said main spring out of contact with the main wheel.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like characters throughout the several views :Figure l is a plan view of the barrel and its retaining ring, the arbor and arbor hub, the cover of the barrel being removed and the arbor shown eccentric to the center of the barrel; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l and through the mechanism adapted to be arranged adjacent thereto; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. l and through the mechanism adapted to be arranged adjacent thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numerals l and 2 represent the top and bottom plates, respectively, of the watch, and ournaled thereto is an arbor 3, having a central threaded portion 4 to which is screwed an arbor hub 5, having a hook or catch 6, for attaching one end of the main spring, said arbor having an annular `flange 7 near its upper end.

8 represents the watch barrel, which is provided near its lower edge with an outwardly extending annular flange 9, and a bottom l0, having a central opening 1l, and an eX- teriorly threaded and preferably annular rim or hub l2, to whichl is secured a ratchet wheel 13.

rI`he numeral 14 represents the main or master wheel, which is rigidly connected to said arbor between said arbor hub 5 and said annular liange 7, and has a downwardly tapered hub l5, which works through an opening 16 in a cover 17, iitting over the top of said barrel in a seat or recess 25 formed in the face and at the upper edge thereof. Said cover 17 serves to keep the main spring from contacting with said main wheel 14 and retarding its action. Said barrel 3 is secured to the bottom plate 2 of said watch by a ring 13, which entirely encircles said barrel immediately above the flange 9, and may be secured to said bottom plate 2 by screws 19 or other equivalent means. Said ring '1S is provided with arecess 20, adapted to receive the center arbor 2 1, provided with awheel22, and pinion 23, which pinion meshes with said main wheel 14. Said retaining ring 13 is also partly cut away where the barrel comes to the outer edge of the lower plate 2, as much as may be necessary to keep said barrel from projecting beyond the edge thereof. (See Figs. l and 2). Said arbor 3 is preferably arranged eccentric to the center of said watch barrel so that said main wheel 14 may mesh with said pinion v23 of said center arbor 21, when of the same or a less diameter than said barrel. By arranging said center arbor eccentric to said watch barrel, a smaller main wheel and larger barrel can be used than has heretofore been possible. In this case, a weaker main spring will be required to run the watch, and having a larger main spring space, a longer main spring can be used.

latches equipped with this improvement will run longer at one winding than other watches and with a more uniform power. It will be observed that by arranging the main arbor eccentric to the center of the watch barrel I have reversed the old principle, wherein the main wheel is of the greatest possible diameter, and the barrel is of a smaller diameter th an the main wheel. In the former case, a short strong spring is a necessity to furnish a sufficient power to run the watch, and such a spring will not develop as uniform a power nor run a watch as long at one winding as a watch provided with my improvements.

24 represents a pawl or click, which is adapted to engage the teeth of said ratchet wheel 13, and serves to prevent a retrograding action of the watch-Winding mechanism, the Watch barrel and the main spring.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is l. ln a watch movement, top and bottom plates, a spring barrel seated and retained on the bottom plate and having an enlarged externally threaded tubular hub presenting an opening, a cover plate arranged over the upper end of the barrel and provided with an enlarged central opening in line with the opening in the hub, a toothed ratchet wheel threaded onto said hub, and an arbor eX- tended through the openings in the hub and cover plate and terminally journaled in said upper and lower plates, said openingsl being of greater diameter than that of the arbor to permit relative movement of the latter and barrel for disposing one of said parts eccentrie with respect to the other.

2. In a watch movement, the combination with a plate, a spring barrel mounted upon said plate and having an integral flange near its lower edge and an eXteriorly threaded hub at its bottom with a central opening, a retaining ring encircling said barrel and bear ing upon its flange, and a Cover having a oentral opening and itting over the upper end of said barrel.

3. ln a watch, the combination with a spring barrel, of a flange on or near the lower edge of said barrel, a retaining ring encircling said barrel and inolosing the Harige, a plate vfitting over the upper edge of said barrel, and a main arbor arranged to work through the center of said barrel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS ALBERT FALLER. litnesses L. E. CAPSHAW, GEO. CooHRoN. 

